Ukulele's simple joys spur new interest in guitar's poor cousin

KIRK HARGREAVES/The Press

MELODIOUS: Kerry McCammon, left, jams on the ukulele with Regan Wagstaff, 10, at the Sand Dance Cafe in New Brighton. Once the alienated nerd of the guitar family, the ukulele is making a comeback.

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Once the alienated nerd of the guitar family, the ukulele is making a comeback.

For every ounce of cool that Tiny Tim strangled out of the ukulele, a band of Christchurch ukulele lovers is clawing its popularity back.

The groups may be disparate but the grey-hairs, the children and the hipsters are united by the unbridled joy found within the small stringed instrument.

Mike Dickison's uke love can be directly linked back to his doctorate in fossil bird bones.

The 39-year-old Lyttelton man was studying at Duke University in North Carolina, America and desperate for mental relief.

"One day when I was feeling particularly isolated and depressed, I went into this little music shop and thought `dammit, I'm going to do it'," he said.

Having had such an enjoyable experience, Dickison wanted to recreate the fun in Christchurch when he returned a year ago but finding fellow enthusiasts seemed more difficult than carbon-dating a moa bone.

"There are a few ukulele groups tucked away but they can be hard to find."

Dickison has written a book, Kete Ukulele, featuring home-grown songs by the likes of the Verlaines, Split Enz and Fred Dagg's Gumboot Song.

Some of his favourite ukulele tunes are by the Ramones, Sex Pistols and the White Stripes. And he is not alone.

"It's amazing how many people came out of the woodwork who thought they were alone. It really is the secret vice."

The instrument's resurgence is partly due to the popularity of groups such as the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra and hip urban virtuosos such as Jake Shimabukuro touted as "the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele".

Kerry McCammon, aka Captain Long John Knickers, may well be the godfather of Christchurch's ukulele movement after he learned to play the instrument while in Japan in 2005.

He started a regular get-together for ukulele enthusiasts and newcomers in New Brighton.

"A few enthusiasts and the ball just starts rolling," he said.

"It's a very accessible instrument. To play a B flat minor on a guitar, you've got to really stretch your fingers but you can do something just as good on a ukulele without all the trouble.

"It's a sing-along thing, that's what attracts people to it."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Alek   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Hi. Good site.

Alek   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Hi. Good site.

Kerstin Dofs   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Hi I saw this article in The Press and wanted to see the rest of the pictures (and listen to the music)on the web but could not find them. Can you please tell how I can access them.

Kid

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